The current generations of the Arath family have inherited a surname that was first used hundreds of years ago by descendants of the ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The Arath family lived in the lands of Arrat, near Brechin in Angus. While the name is quite rare there now, in the middle of the 16th century, the name was quite well known.

Arath Early Origins

The surname Arath was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where they held a family seat from very early times, some say from about the 11th century. William of Arrath held the lands of Arrat in Brechin in Angus about 1250.

Arath Spelling Variations

Arath Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, Arath has been spelled Arath, Arrath, Arat, Aratt, Aratts, Arratt, Arrat, Arrot, Arroth, Arrott, Arrothe, Arrathe, Arrade and many more.

Arath Early History

Arath Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arath research. Another 199 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1264, 1296, 1378, 1473, 1528 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Arath History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arath Early Notables (pre 1700)

Arath Early Notables (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Arath Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

The cruelties suffered under the new government forced many to leave their ancient homeland for the freedom of the North American colonies. Those who arrived safely found land, freedom, and opportunity for the taking. These hardy settlers gave their strength and perseverance to the young nations that would become the United States and Canada. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name Arath: Leonard Aratts and his wife who settled in Pennsylvania in 1683; John Arett who settled in Virginia in 1634; D. Arratt landed in New York State in 1822.

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

The Arath Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Arath Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.